V. Jill Poris

Education

MM in Ethnomusicology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonBM in Education, Eastern Illinois University

Instrument/Subject

Global Music

About

Jill Poris earned her undergraduate degree as a piano major. Drawing on her background
as a percussionist and cellist she was also certified to teach K-12 in band, orchestra
and general music education.

Her years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison were spent learning to play the many
instruments of the Javanese gamelan and the Ugandan amadinda, a type of xylophone,
while preparing for field work in Nepal. The focus of her master's thesis was on shamanic
music in Nepal.

Jill began her teaching career at UW-Madison before moving to Oregon. While teaching
global music classes and amadinda at OSU she became acquainted with Zimbabwean marimba
band music. After moving to Portland she continued to study and teach gamelan at Lewis
and Clark College. Jill also taught amadinda at Lewis and Clark before starting a
Zimbabwean style marimba band at the college.

Jill has been teaching global music classes at Marylhurst and the University of Portland
since 1990. In the meantime she continues to explore more music traditions and has
been active as an instrumentalist and singer in music from the Balkans.